Lrg. X 3-Level Wrought Iron

First of all, I do really like my Tall Sturdy cage, and it's not even a year old yet. I however find it intrusive in my new small space. I would like to keep it in storage but downgrade slightly to the size the cage above due to several reasons:

1)As stated, the size is intrusive in my small space. I have to keep it by the door, it's the only place I can fit it and be able to pull out drop pan to clean daily. However it sticks out close to the door and as I pass I sometimes slightly bump it with my elbow, between that and the sudden motion this has startled my babies. They may grow accustom to it and most of the time this setup seems to work for the most part.

2)I've found this cage harder to clean thoroughly the same as I did the Madagascar cage. I can manage reaching in and getting to the farthermost corners, but it's very uncomfortable and awkward, I feel I'm not getting it wiped down as well as other areas of the cage except when doing the "full" cleaning every few months.

3) The cage in above link is slightly smaller, it's not as deep so it would not stick out into the room as much and not startle my babies at times. And, I should be able to reach the back corners easily as it is less wide by a bit as well as not as deep. I know this will give them a slightly smaller space, but still I feel more than minimum for a trio.

I will not be able to purchase this cage until after I gain employment, which hopefully will be very soon. So I have time to really consider opinions on this change.

So please, everyone, tell me what you think, is it a bad idea to downsize slightly for reasons stated?

What is your opinions of this particular cage?

Any experience or knowledge is greatly appreciated.

Go for it.

One thing I'm really paranoid about and always look for is what type of finish is used on it. I'm really concerned about gliders chewing on the material and being poisoned. This board taught me epoxy coating is fine.

Thank you.

I think it looks good. I don't think they will mind the slight size step down, especially when they have good out of cage time. The finish looks safe and like it will hold up the same as your other cage. I know my Congo can be a bit of a pain trying to reach certain corners. I'm able to do a twice monthly major clean, which helps in that regard, but if I need to mess with taking out/putting in the wheel it's usually a two person job unless I'm feeling extra flexible that day!

It's hard to see exactly what's going on between the grate and drop pan. It almost looks like the bottom grate isn't removable. If so, it will be more of a pain to clean, but would alleviate my other observation of the large gap between that and the drop pan. It might need some sort of an extra clip to make sure something doesn't slide and provide a little escape route.

The door latches will also need either a hardware change out or an extra clip lock to double up on safety. I think they would be able to flip those relatively easily if they felt like it.

The bar spacing isn't mentioned, but I think from the photo it looks to be under the half inch guideline.

I know how you feel about having them by the door. That's where I have mine but the wall tucks back in so that the front of the cage is flush with the door opening, and there is about 1.5-2 feet of wall/window between them and the actual door. We hardly use our front door, but for me, it's the drafts that concern me between the door and a window on the other side of the cage.

I think you'll be more comfortable having this in your current space and I'm sure they'll be just fine with the change.

Thank you. I was not feeling so good about downgrading their home size, and I can clean it, it's just a royal pain so I felt bad about that. I did manage to adjust the position a tiny bit, which brings it a little more out of the way from the door and I'll see if that helps with the startling of them, it doesn't happen all the time, usually is when I walk by in a hurry and they're out or moving. My sister doesn't think I should downsize them. But since I can't purchase it right now, I'll take the time to see how it goes with new positioning. I'm hoping they get enough light from the window at this angle. They are far enough away to avoid drafts. I will revisit this cage when I'm more able to purchase, because I feel it's a safe cage, but wanted others opinions of it and hopefully someone who had one's opinion. I just also felt bad about the downsizing for them, and wasn't sure if I was being selfish about the cleaning aspect of reason.

If you scroll down the page it gives the measurements of the bar spacing along with more details and a larger picture. The drop pan does look like a gap between the floor, but it does state that the floor is removable for ease of cleaning. I always use a reusable zip tie to keep the floor from sliding and prevent escapes, I'll do the same if I end up getting this cage.

I still welcome any first hand experience for this cage as it's still in consideration for the time being.

Your gliders will probably be fine in a slightly smaller cage but I am not sure a couple of inches smaller will keep you from bumping into the cage.

I expect, with a little practice in maneuvering around the current cage you will bump into it less frequently because you are conscious of it being there.

For cleaning the cage - you might try a pair of kitchen tongs to hold the rag or sponge you are using to scrub the cage. It will extend your reach several more inches.

Seems like another cage is an expense you might want to avoid.

I have had cages that were this slightly smaller size that turned out to have thinner bars that rattled when the gliders ran in their wheels. The cage pan did not fit well and my gliders managed to toss waste and food scraps everywhere because of the gap between the cage pan and the bottom grate.

Thinner wire is also more flexible and the cage I had developed cracks in the painted surface very quickly and the cage was rusty in less than a year.

Thank you Candy. I was hoping for some input on the cage, it looks safe by description and what you can see on the photo, however you can't really tell how sturdy it is. I appreciate you sharing your experience with this type cage.

Since it would have been a while since I could purchase the cage anyway, and my sister thinking I shouldn't downsize them. I repositioned the cage a bit, which puts it a little farther from the door, so should help with the bumping/or brushing into it.

Your suggestion on using tongs made me think of those sponges on wands or even using a toilet brush, that someone else had mentioned using. Thank you so much Candy.